Let Me Love You
by Carlos'sCupcake
Summary: Kendall wants to be with Lucy, but she has a boyfriend. What will happen? Based on the Let Me Love You cover by BTR.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This story idea came from the cover of Let Me Love You that BTR covered, and originally it was supposed to be a one-shot but I couldn't get it right that way, so alas we have another chapter story. But, this won't be a long chapter story, I'm thinking maybe only six chapters. I Also, I couldn't get this chapter how I wanted so if it sucks, you have my apologies. And don't forget to leave a review to let me know how I'm doing, or if you have any suggestions. Thank you :)**

**Kendall's POV**

The bell above the door rings as it opens, and in walks Lucy Stone. "Hey", I call out as she takes her dripping wet raincoat off and hangs it on the coat rack by the door. It's an unusually rainy day here in L.A., and it's been pouring buckets all morning.

"Hi, Kendall", she greets me, smiling as she walks towards me.

"How goes it?"

"Pretty good", she ruffles her hair with her hand. It's black with red streaks, usually straight but right now it's damp and wavy. "I hate rain", she groans.

I chuckle and set the stack of CDs down I was trying to put away. It's been a busy day here in the music store that my dad owned and people often decide they don't want an item after walking around with it, or even they're too lazy to put it back where they got it from; so that's one of the tasks for us employees here to take care of. I say owned, because my father owned the store until he passed away a few years ago, leaving it to my mom. My mom really has no interest in music, but I on the other hand have several talents as far as music goes. I can play drums, guitar, and sing. Me and three of my other buds, Carlos, James, and Logan started a band up last year and are trying to make a name for ourselves. We play gigs at whatever clubs we can get booked at on the weekends, and during the week I work here. "I don't mind it too much, makes for a mellow day", I tell Lucy, and not more than two seconds after the words are out of my mouth do I see her yawn. "See? Case in point".

She giggles and shakes her head. "No it's just that I was up late last night." Lucy stands next to me and begins rifling through the stack of CDs on the cart, sorting them out by genre.

"Schoolwork keeping you up huh?" Lucy goes to college and is studying to be a nurse.

"No, late night out with Chris actually." She smiles and instead of it brightening my day like it usually would, my heart sinks. Somewhere within the past year I've fallen for Lucy and just never quite got up the nerve to ask her out. I guess I just have my reservations about girls after my ex-girlfriend and I broke up. I feel like I gave her the world and all of me and was ready to settle, but it turns out Emily's not the kind of girl who wants to be tied down. I loved her and to find out she wasn't as serious kinda threw me for a loop and yeah, I've decided to just be single for a while. But Lucy came around and somehow made me want a girlfriend; someone to take out and spend time with, someone to cuddle with and just hold. Call me a wuss, I don't care, I can't help it that I'm a hopeless romantic.

It's weird because Lucy is different than all the other girls I've ever dated, she gives me a challenge. We don't argue, but she's not the typical woman in that she'll readily agree to what men say and back off. Lucy plays guitar and watches football, she's not afraid to join me and the guys out at the rink for a game of hockey. She's a balls out girl, goes after what she wants and isn't afraid to speak her mind. It's rather amusing to me at times because Lucy is almost a whole foot shorter than me and on the petite side, but I've seen her hold her own.

"Ohhhh", I drag out the word and grab a stack of CDs and start walking towards the rock genre to put them away. "I'll do these", I respond, not wanting to ignore her but not wanting to talk about Chris either. They started dating about a month ago and I don't know Chris Blevins or have never met him personally, but I've heard on several occasions that he's a douchebag kind of guy. Lucy seems happy and pretty smitten, so who am I to judge?

With perfect timing, Carlos comes walking by from the back room and slaps me on the shoulder, a box tucked under his arm. Carlos Garcia is my best friend, and one quarter of our band, Big Time Rush, and he also works here as well. "What's going on guys?"

"Nada, it's pretty chill."

"Cool", Carlos shrugs and sets the box down next to the rack of buttons and keychains and miscellaneous junk. "Doesn't seem real busy today, I like it".

I laugh. "Yeah me, too."

"Hey Los", Lucy yells from over by the section of hip-hop music.

"Lucy!", he exclaims and smiles. "Kendall gets off soon, so I guess it's just me and you til closing time." Carlos makes a fist and pulls it to himself as if he's saying "yes" and I just laugh at his antics.

The new Adelita's Way song fills my ears and I stride over to turn the volume up some and I can't help but to start singing along, earning me a funny look from Lucy. "What? I'm the owner's son I can do whatever I want." Her lips turn up to one side and she grabs a stuffed football off one of the shelves.

Her lips turn up to one side and she grabs a stuffed football off one of the shelves. I watch as she tosses it up and catches it before raising an eyebrow. "Well, since I'm a good friend of the boss I can goof off as well?" She doesn't wait for me to answer before she throws the football in Carlos's direction and we both crack up when it bounces off of his head.

In good fun, he throws it in my direction and it's not long before all three of us are engaged in a game of monkey in the middle, with Lucy being the monkey of course. Being a total goofball, Carlos decides to throw the ball underhanded, sending it almost up to the ceiling and it's hard to gauge where it'll come down at but I run a few feet away and jump up to catch it, when my elbow collides with something. Out of the corner of my eyes I see Lucy bump into a shelf and fall to the floor. I come down to my knees in front of where she's sitting up, rubbing the side of her head.

"Shit", I curse. "Are you okay?", I ask her.

"Yeah, just a little banged up", she responds. "You've got one hell of an elbow there." I hold my hand out to help her up, and I notice when she attempts to move, that she drops right back into place and grabs onto her side. "Oww", she yelps.

"What? Are you alright?"

"My side", she says and lifts her shirt up, exposing some of her creamy white skin. Instantly, my eyes fix on the bright red mark that will definitely turn into a bruise later. I run my finger over the raised, scratched skin and she winces.

"Lucy, I am really sorry", I pull my finger away as guilt floods my body. "Do you want an ice pack or something?"

"Calm your tits Knight, it's not that bad. But yeah, an ice pack would be great right now".

"Ok, I'll help you up." This time instead of offering her my hand, I put both hands just under her arms and pull her up until she's firmly on her feet. "Come on", I usher her to the breakroom in the back of the store.

I watch Carlos scurry to the front of the store as if he's trying to give me some privacy with Lucy or something. I shake my head to no one in particular, Carlos knows I've been crushing on Lucy. Hell, Logan and James are aware of that fact, too. Once we're in the break room, I rush to the freezer and pull out an ice pack and hurry to wrap it in paper towels. I hear the bell above the door ring as someone else enters but ignore it, thinking more of tending to Lucy than customers.

I go to where Lucy is sitting on one of the chairs and kneel down in front of her, handing her the ice pack. She takes it from me and rests it against her side, and I'm mesmerized as I watch her eyes close and her teeth grip onto her bottom lip when she exhales. It's painful but she's trying not to show it. I don't say anything but let my eyes wander over her face while I can without her knowing. Out of nowhere, the urge to tuck her hair behind her ear and press my lips against hers is strong, and I'm leaning towards her face when someone shouting my name knocks some sense back into me. I jerk back hurriedly and stand up, hoping Lucy wasn't aware of my intentions, but when I look at her, her eyes are open.

"You ready, Kendall?", James Diamond stands in the doorway. Tomorrow is Lucy's birthday and we're throwing her a surprise party, but she's under the assumption that she's coming over for 'game night'. The present I ordered for her is ready to be picked up today and I need to get there before the shop closes.

"Yeah", I turn back to Lucy. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Sure. I've been banged up worse than this before", she smiles and I breathe out a sigh of relief that she's acting normal. I look at James, grateful to him for the interruption because I know without a doubt that I would have kissed her, and what would have happened after that?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Woo-Hoo, chapter number two finally is here! Oh and I'll start shout-outs in the next chapter, I'm sick once again and far too lazy to type them out right now. I hope this doesn't suck as bad as I think it does.**

"SURPRISE!", we all yell and jump out from our hiding places when Lucy walks in. It's obvious she's startled and wasn't expecting this as she jumps, but a big smile spreads across her face, and I see a blush creep up her cheeks.

"You guys", she whines and looks around at all of us. It's Carlos, James, Logan, myself of course, some of our mutual friends, and Chris, Lucy's boyfriend. On a whim, Carlos suggested we invite him and James did some digging around and got a number, and asked him to come.

I won't deny being a little jealous as I watch Lucy walk to Chris and give him a hug first. With the huge smile on her face it's easy to see just how taken she is with him, but I feel like something is a little 'off' with him. It's not something I can put a finger on, but I definitely feel it. Chris hugs her back and whispers something to her, and then she's prancing over to us. "Carlos, you didn't tell me!", she exclaims.

"Haha", I say, interrupting. "He didn't know about it until he got here himself because everybody knows that Carlos Garcia can't keep a secret."

"Hey!", Carlos pouts, trying to defend himself.

"It's totally true, though!", Lucy says and pulls him in for a hug. I chuckle when he lifts her off the ground and spins her around.

After our latino friend puts her back down, she comes to me and wraps her arms around my neck. I put my arms around her waist and squeeze, loving the way she smells as I place my mouth close to her ear. "Happy Birthday, Lucy", I tell her.

"Thanks, Kendall", she takes a step back. "Let me guess, the party was your idea?" Lucy looks at me and I get tongue-tied for a moment.

I shrug my shoulders. "Yeah umm, it was." I feel my cheeks get hot.

"Well thanks, it's really sweet", she punches my arm playfully. "Okay so where are James and Logan?", she aks.

I grab her shoulders and turn her one hundred eighty degrees until she's facing the other direction and point my finger towards the air hockey table where they're trash-talking eachother during an intense game.

James is staring intently at Logan, who's crouched down. "You're a cheater", James accuses.

"What?", Logan scoffs and gives a little laugh. "This is NOT cheating. This is looking at the table and trying to figure out the perfect place to hit the puck so that it bounces off the side at the right angle and I score the winning goal."

On top of the bar, the score is lit up in red numbers 6-6. "Oh God, this could get ugly", I groan, knowing just how competitive these two can get with eachother.

"Watch this", Lucy smirks and tosses her hair over her shoulder, then she's heading their way. Of course I can't take my eyes off of her cute little ass as she sashays over to the air hockey table nonchalantly, swipes the small red plastic hockey puck, drops it inconspicuously into the pocket of her leather jacket and continues walking by.

Logan and James are in eachother's face at this point, too busy jabbing their fingers at eachother to even notice what just happened. I take a sip of the beer in my hand and continue watching until about a minute later they take their respective places at each end of the table and just about double over with laughter as Logan's jaw drops open and he climbs over the table, grabbing James by the collar of his shirt.

Lucy winks at me from across the room, a smug smile decorating her face before she turns to mingle with the other guests. I just shake my head when I see Carlos standing between James and Logan, being pushed back and forth like a ping pong ball.

I can't help but notice that Chris isn't paying much attention to Lucy, and it seems like every five seconds he's pulling his phone out of his pocket and checking the screen. Trying to be friendly, I stride over to him. "Hey, how's it going?", I ask.

He shrugs a shoulder. "Meh", he takes a drink from the bottle of beer in his hand.

"So uh, where do you work man?", I try to start a conversation.

With the phone in his hand and his eyes locked to the device, he responds, "I'm unemployed right now", without even bothering to look up.

Thankfully Camille comes into the room carrying the large birthday cake, saving me from not having anything else to say to Chris. I hurry to help her, and make room on the table. Once the cake is safely perched upon the table, Camille orders everyone, "Gather around", and bends down to light the two number two candles on the cake, signifying that Lucy is twenty two.

While we're singing Happy Birthday, an annoyingly loud phone goes off and everyone chooses to ignore it except for Chris. He takes the phone out of his pocket and walks away for a minute. When he comes back Lucy has just blown out the candles and Chris bends down to tell her, "Something happened. I gotta go."

"Now?", she asked and the disappointed look on her face makes me want to punch him in the gut.

"Yeah", he answers and kisses her lips shortly and hands her a book. "Happy Birthday, Luce. Later." With a quick wave around to everyone as if we really give a shit, the douche exits the door.

"Cake anyone?", I offer, trying to end the uncomfortable silence that has fallen over the room.

A bit later after everyone has eaten cake and ice cream, we all form a circle around Lucy and watch as she opens presents. First, she holds up the book Chris gave her. "From Chris", she says shyly.

The sound of Carlos bursting out laughing has heads turning in his direction. "What? It's a romance novel. I mean, we all know Lucy likes to read, but she doesn't read those. She reads horror stories. What a doofus."

"Dude", I elbow him.

"Oops", Carlos utters, finally aware of how rude he just was. He shoves his hands in his pockets and gives an apologetic smile. "Sorry." I mean I agree with what my best friend just said, it looks as if Chris bought it on a newsstand on his way over.

More time passes while Lucy opens up her gifts, and I nervously bounce on the balls of my feet when her hand gropes the intricately wrapped little red box holding my gift for her inside. I watch as he unties the ribbon, then tears off the wrapping paper rather neatly, then lifts the lid on the box. Her eyes widen and her mouth hangs open as she pulls out the necklace I had made for her. It's white gold because I've noticed for some reason that Lucy doesn't care too much for yellow gold and hanging off the end of the chain is a guitar, engraved with all the features of a real guitar. A tiny circle of small rubies outlines the soundhole.

"Kendall", she gapes.

"Your birthday only comes once a year. You deserve it", I say nonchalantly.

"Oh my gosh, I love it!", she all but squeals and runs over to hug me. I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you", she says and the look in her eyes makes me feel like I just won the lottery.

A few more gifts are left to open after mine, and then the music is started back up and drinks are flowing freely once again. Glad the night is going well, I head upstairs to my bathroom to avoid the long waiting line and push the door open without knocking. "Oh shit", I scramble to apologize as I see Lucy sitting on the edge of the bathtub. "I didn't think anyone was in here."

"It's okay", she says and I notice that her eyes are red-rimmed and she's sniffling.

"Hey, what's wrong?", I ask and lean against the doorframe, not sure whether I should stay or leave.

"Nothing", she dabs at the corner of her eyes.

"C'mon Lucy, I'm not buying that."

"Okay", her shoulders sag as she stands up. "I think Chris is cheating on me."

"Wanna explain?", I raise my eyebrows. She opens her mouth to say something but her chin starts quivering and her eyes are shining with tears. _Oh fuck_, I say to myself. It all but kills me when a girl cries, I don't know why, it just has always bothered me. I walk over to her and pull her head into my chest and just hold her. "It's okay", I whisper into her hair.

Her body shakes a bit and my shirt begins getting wet with tears and my heart literally hurts. Lucy is one of, no she is t_he_ strongest person I know and for her to be crying is so unreal. I stay quiet, rubbing my hands up and down her back until she's finished and turns away.

I cross my arms over my chest and wait until she's finished cleaning up her make-up, and when she turns back to me, even with a red nose and pink cheeks, Lucy is still breath-taking. She sits back at her previous seat on the edge of the tub and runs her hands up and down her thighs. "Okay", she takes a deep breath. "I came in here a while ago to call Chris and make sure everything is alright. Well a girl answered his phone and when I met up with after work last night, he smelled like woman's perfume and there was a mark on his neck that looked like lipstick, but he shrugged it off as paint."

"Did you ask him if he's cheating?", I ask her the first question that comes to my mind.

"No".

"Look Lucy, you're an awesome chick and I find it hard to believe that someone would be cheating on you. I mean, let's get real here. Is it so bad even if he is, because you've only been together for a little more than a month? That's not much time vested in a relationship. Worst case scenario, he is cheating. You cut your losses and walk away. Best case scenario, he was working with his mom, or it really was paint. He ran into his cousin in the store he hasn't seen in years. Don't think too much about it until you ask him."

"But I really like him."

So help me God if I find out Chris is cheating on her and made her cry, he'll regret ever hurting Lucy. But I have to be rational and see through my own bitterness right now. "I think you know what you need to do", I tell her.

"You know what Kendall? You're right. If I talked to Carlos, he would try to rip Chris's balls off. James would tell me I was wasting my time and I should be dating him, instead, and Logan would be a total sweetheart and give me that lame ass line, 'there's plenty of other fish in the sea'. But I like you're way of thinking logically, Knight. I knew you were my favorite for a reason." Lucy stands up and her smile reappears, and I feel my heart lighten up. She walks over to me and rises on the tips of her toes to kiss my cheek as she gives my arm a squeeze. "Thanks, Kendall."

"No problem. That's what friends are for." I move away from the door to allow her to pass and she turns around as she steps into the hallway.

"And Knight", she narrows her eyes and jabs her finger at me. "If you tell anyone you saw me cry, your ass is grass and I'm the lawnmower."

I drag my thumb and forefinger across my lips. "My lips are sealed."

With a wink, Lucy is bounding down the stairs. I let out a long breath and hope that that little fucker Chris isn't cheating on Lucy because she deserves a lot better than that, and even though I would love for her to be mine, her happiness is what truly matters to me.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N First of all I would like to start by saying thank you to all you wonderful readers and reviewers, and to those of you who took the time to follow me or my story. SHOUT-OUTS ****dudeamanda****- I'm glad that you love this story, I am a hardcore Kucy shipper so after he picked Jo on the show, I have to live in my own lil dreamworld! ;) ****BigTimeStarKid1****- Hehe I know you love Kucy just as much as I do and I can only hope to do them justice! Yes Chris is a jerk, maybe in time Lucy will see just how great Kendall is? I sure hope so ;) And yes, Kendall is so sweet GAH! ****Shadowpool95****- Yay, I'm glad that you decided to take a chance on my story and that you liked it :) ****SuperSillyStories****- Haha, seriously I love Lucy, I just love her personality, and I'm totally bummed that Kendall didn't pick her on the show. And yes the caring is adorable, I mean Kendall is just the sweetest right? I'm glad you're liking this :) ****DeniseDEMD****- I'm glad that you like this story. And I totally agree with your opinion, I mean who knows what's gonna happen? Guess we'll just have to wait and find out. But thanks for taking the time to review! :) ****KendallsCoverGirl804****- I'm glad that you are loving this, and yeah it would be nice if Kendall and Lucy would get together already! Question, does the 804 in your name mean that you are in VA? :) ****annabellex2****- well thank you, I sure am hoping for another great story :) ****Logan's Honey Pie****- Hehehe you always have these guesses for my stories, but as usual, I'm not telling! Glad you like it, and hey you're taking a while to update...you said feel free to let you know , so I did :) ****childwhoiscool****- great review! :) **

**P.S. Look past any errors, I didn't proofread it cuz I'm too lazy :P**

The phone ringing wakes me up and with something like a growl, I roll over and look at the time. It's 9:52 Sunday morning and I didn't go to bed until almost 4:00. That's what happens when you live with three of your best friends, who all happen to be male. I'm not complaining though because it was quite the party and we had a blast. By the time my hand even reaches the phone it stops ringing. _Go figure_, I flop back down and nestle into my pillow. Just when I get comfortable and close my eyes, the stupid phone starts again.

"Fuck!", I yell and snatch it up from off the nightstand next to my bed. "Hello", I say after pushing the **answer** button.

"Kendall, it's Ben", the voice on the other end of the line speaks. "I'm sick I can't make it into work today."

I sit up and run my hand down my face. "Okay. Are you alright man?"

"Yeah, I think I caught the virus going around. I been puking my guts out since two a.m."

"Dude, that sucks. Feel better. And thanks for calling, Ben." I've had a handful of employees not bother to call or show up to work and it irks the living hell out of me. I mean, how hard is it for someone to pick up a phone and make a phone call? I'm not an asshole boss by any means, but it's surprising how many people lack respect.

"Thanks, boss. Oh and if I'm not better by tomorrow I'll call you tonight."

"No problem. Talk to you later." I hang the phone up and swing my legs to the side of the bed, knowing that I need to get up and see if I can get someone to come in and cover for Ben. At least the store doesn't open until twelve today.

Seven phone calls later, the verdict is in; I will be working Ben's shift today. I take it in stride, I mean technically I own the store because my mom does nothing, and that's okay. Some people have plans today they won't want to cancel and what can I say to that? We've all been there and done that. I drag my ass out of the bed and head to the bathroom to take a shower.

...

At 11:58 I unlock the door to the shop and turn the lights on, taking a quick glance around. Everything looks good so I head to my office in the back to take care of some paperwork until I hear the bell on the door. Zane, the other guy who will be working today won't be here until 2:00 so I head out to the salesfloor and see a pretty blonde girl and a brunette. "Hi ladies", I greet them. "Anything I can help you with?"

The blonde looks my way and smiles. "Not really. Just looking, but thanks anyway."

"You're welcome", I respond and watch the two ladies walk down the aisle of rock music before I head up to the cash register. I tidy up the area, stacking the loose papers up into a neat pile, sneaking glimpses towards the women every so often, admiring the blonde. She's dressed in a pair of skin-tight jeans with knee high black boots and a black and silver Doors t-shirt that hangs off one shoulder, with a silver scarf hanging around her neck to complete the look. Her perfectly curled hair hangs halfway down her back. A girl who takes care of herself, but isn't too high maintenance. I dig.

I feel a familiar stirring down south when I think about what it would be like to have her underneath me naked, her legs wrapped around me. Yeah it's been a while. I'm still young, no harm in having a little fun right? And I haven't been on a date since Emily, but that's about to change. Or at least I hope it is. I run a hand nervously through my hair and take in a deep breath before walking out behind the counter and over to the where the girls are standing by the DVD's.

"Is there anything in particular you're looking for?", I try to sound as nonchalant as possible.

The blonde looks at me and smiles, and then I notice the women exchange a look and the brunette quickly utters, "I'm gonna go look in the...country section. Yeah", and with that, she's gone, leaving me alone with the blonde. I notice a Walking Dead DVD in her hand.

"Good stuff", I point to it.

She shrugs. "I don't know, I've never seen it. I'm actually looking for a gift for my brother's birthday. He's mentioned the show so I thought maybe I'd get him the first season on DVD."

"Sounds like a good idea. I think he'll like that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Me and my buds watch it. Zombies are all the rage right now." I feel like an idiot and want to face-palm when I realize how much I'm sounding like a dork.

"Okay, I'll get it then", she grins. "Thanks".

"Not a problem. Are you all ready to check out now or do you want to look around some more?"

"Umm, I don't know. I guess I'll see what Kiara wants to do", the blonde points to her friend a few aisles over.

"Cool. Umm", I search my brain for something to say, but I draw a blank. "I guess I'll get back to work." _Idiot_, I berate myself as I walk away. I go back to tidying up the counters and decide that they haven't left the store yet, so I might still have a chance to ask her out.

Maybe ten minutes pass when the girls finally come up to the register with several CD's and the DVD. I ring them up and when it's blondie's turn, I look at the name on the credit card she hands me and say her name out loud. "Roxy", I sound it out. "That's a bit unusual, but I like it."

She shrugs a shoulder and I see what I believe to be a slight blush on her cheek as she bites her lip. "Yeah." I tear off the receipt and hand it to her along with a pen to sign.

"So Roxy", I decide to go all or nothing. "Do you maybe wanna hang out sometime? Like see a movie, go get drinks, whatever?"

I watch as her friend nudges her in the side. "Yeah sure...", she pauses as if she's waiting for my name.

"Kendall", I tell her.

"Well, sure Kendall. I'd really like that." I watch as she signs her name, then flips the small piece of paper over and proceeds to write something. "Call me", she slides the receipt my way and grabs the bag from the counter and gives me a wink before turning away.

"Have a great day ladies!", I call after them, feeling happier than I've felt in a while.

I'm in the middle of adding Roxy's number to the contacts in my phone while doing my happy dance when the bell above the door sounds. In walks Lucy with a mile wide smile, carrying two cups with lids and a bag from the bakery down the street.

"Hey you", I greet her and drop my phone back into my pocket. Lucy comes to the counter and sets down a cup and the bag.

"Hey yourself. Coffee and muffins", she says cheerfully.

I raise an eyebrow in question. "What's got you all giddy?", I joke and pull the top back from the lid and take a sip of the steaming liquid. "Mmm, perfect. Thanks Luce."

"Well I wanted to thank you. I did talk to Chris this morning and he explained everything. He's not cheating and get this. He says he thinks he loves me!", then she squeals, which sounds pretty alien-like to me because Lucy never acts like that, all girly and stuff.

I can't help but to smile. "Wow, but don't you think it's kinda early?"

"What are you trying to say, Knight, that I'm not lovable?" Her pretty face twists up into a scowl.

"Lucy, no that's not what I meant." _Quite the opposite_, I think to myself. You are very lovable and I'd love to have you for myself. But the smile on her face says it all and I'm not going to rain on her parade.

"Kidding!", she scoffs and sticks her tongue out. "I know it's kind of early, I guess but you can't help what you feel right? I mean some people believe in love at first sight, so this isn't all that odd, right? Or is it?" Lucy is rambling on and I'm not sure this is the same Lucy I know.

"Say what?"

"I don't know", she says honestly and takes a sip of her coffee. "I get butterflies when I think about him and my heart skips a beat."

"Wow Lucy".

"I know right", she is smiling big. "Oh I didn't tell you the best part. Chris is moving in with me!"

An unwelcome spray of coffee comes from my mouth. "What?!"

"He's moving in. I think we have a real chance Kendall. No one has ever made me feel like he does, and I think he could be the one."

"Lucy Stone", I hold three fingers up in front of her face. "How many fingers am I holding up?" Something can't be right. This isn't really happening is it?

"Three".

"You sure didn't fall and bump your head or something? Who are you and what have you done with my friend?", I joke.

"Kendalllllll", she groans impatiently.

"Don't you think it's too soon for all of that stuff?", I question.

She gives a sheepish smile and pulls one shoulder up to her cheek. "I mean I know it hasn't been long but I just feel what I feel."

My big brother instinct kicks in or maybe it's just jealousy but I just can't accept this. "Lucy, this is way out of character for you. Are you sure? I mean, like do you even know everything about him? He doesn't even have a job."

Lucy places a hand on my forearm as if she's trying to calm me down. "Kendall, I know you're worried. No, I don't know everything about Chris, but I know enough. And he's looking for a job. He goes out looking everyday."

"I don't know, Lucy. I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Kendall, I respect that, but can't you just be happy for me? I really feel like I'm doing the right thing here." Then Lucy proceeds to pout.

How am I supposed to be mad at her when she looks so cute? "Okay fine. It's just that I care about you and I don't want anything bad happening to you."

"I know, but I can handle myself."

"I don't know what to say."

"Just say that you're happy or congratulations."

"Umm, congrats", I say not really meaning it but Lucy is too stuck in her own dreamworld to pick up on it.

"Thanks, Kendall. You are the bestest best friend ever!" After pulling me down for a quick hug, Lucy says a quick, "I gotta go", and literally skips out of the store.

What the hell is going on? Must be something in the water; I have a date for the first time in over a year, and Lucy Stone is acting like a schoolgirl in love!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Woo-Hoo another chapter ladies! I wanted to update this sooner but Hurricane Sandy kinda held me up a bit, hope everyone made it through safely. As always, a big thank you to you lovely reviewers. SHOUT-OUTS ****SuperSillyStories****- I like the way you think, just sayin! Hehe :) ****dudeamanda****- Awww, I'm glad you're enjoying this story, we have a few more chapters to go, so who knows what'll end up happening? :) ****childwhoiscool****- great review :) ****DeniseDEMD-**** I know, it's like this relationship is moving super fast for Lucy! Hehe :) ****KendallsCoverGirl804****- Glad you're loving it! Oh, kk, that's awesome, I saw them on 8/11 :) ****paulag.2011****- Well here you are, I didn't really go into much detail but yeah...lol :) ****BigTimeStarKid1****- First of all, let me just say that no worries about the last review you left for the other story, you know my feelings, girl. Second, I hope you feel better, I'm sorry that you're sick :( I know, Lucy's head is just all screwed on wrong isn't it? Hehe, Kendall is just the biggest sweetheart, he's not the smoothest, but his adorakable-ness is majorly attractive! I hope you feel better soon :)**

I pull up in the driveway and notice something move out of the corner of my eye when I get out of the car. A good look informs me that it's Lucy, and panic runs throughs my veins when I think about what happened two days ago. _Lucy had been sitting on the porch swing waiting for me when I got home from work. Her and Chris had gotten into an argument about him wanting her to loan him some money but she didn't have it. According to her, Chris was mad at her and yelling really loudly, and Lucy got scared and kinda freaked out so she came here and hung with me. She calmed down after a while, and I offered her to stay the night since it was late but she was pretty confident that Chris would never hurt her, that he was just angry, and she was sure he'd calmed down by now. She did call me when she got home to let me know everything was okay. _

I can't help but think the worst and I break out into a jog, running up the front steps. The little bit of light shining from next to the door proves that her eyes are red and puffy, and I can tell she's been crying. I rush up and as my feet hit the last step, Lucy throws herself into my chest. I had gotten a quick glimpse of her and didn't see any marks, but fear of the unknown grips my heart. I wrap my arms around her back and hold her tight. "Please tell me that son of a bitch didn't put his hands on you, Lucy!"

She shakes her head but stays in place. "No, Kendall. He -he's in jail. I-it was c-c-crazy", she stutters and I notice she's shivering. It's not the warmest night here in L.A. and Lucy isn't even wearing a jacket. I usher her to the door and unlock it quickly before walking her to the couch and sitting her down. I reach over to grab the blanket draped over the back of the chair and place it around Lucy's shoulders.

"Are you okay?", I ask concerned. "Do you need a drink of something?"

"I-I'm o-okay", she says, still shivering. I sit next to her and rub her arms.

"You're cold."

"Yeah, I've been out there for a while, I called but you didn't answer and I didn't know where else to go."

"Sorry, I was on a date so I had my phone turned off out of courtesy, you know", I say sheepishly.

Lucy looks at me and smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. The person sitting in front of me is fragile, not the strong, tough as nails woman I know. I'm dying to hear what happened, but I need her to warm up first. "You want some hot chocolate?", I ask her. Lucy has quite the sweet tooth. I nudge her gently with my elbow. "I even have marshmallows."

"Okay, I'm sold. Thanks, Kendall."

"No problem. Be back in a few minutes", I tell her and watch as she pulls the blanket tighter around her body.

A few minutes later I return, setting two steaming mugs of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows on the coffee table. I ease her into conversation, wanting her to be comfortable without prying and finally about halfway through our hot chocolate she takes the blanket off and opens up. "I was watching t.v. after dinner and someone knocked on the door. When I answered it, there were two police officers in uniform asking for Chris. I told them he was in the shower and they asked if they could come in and talk to me for a minute. I didn't see any reason to say no, so I let them in and they started asking me all kinds of questions about Chris, like what does he do, what kind of hours does he keep, they asked about him spending money, and even asked about some of his friends. Honestly, I haven't met any of his friends. Whenever Chris goes out, he goes by himself."

Lucy takes another drink of her hot cocoa and continues. "Anyway, after that they wanted to know if they could search some of Chris's stuff and I said 'sure'. I took them to my, our bedroom and showed them where he keeps all of his things and they asked me to go sit back down in the living room out of the way." She rolls her eyes and I'm surprised she didn't cuss out the cops. "So like a good citizen, I did what was asked of me and heard some shuffling around and rustling, and a few minutes later the two police come to me, holding up a bag of white powder stuff. They called it cocaine." Lucy shakes her head. "I about shit a brick and I was instantly paralyzed, scared I was gonna get arrested. But they questioned me for a few minutes and when they sure I'm innocent, which I am of course", Lucy tucks some strands of hair behind her ears. "Then they told me they were going to arrest Chris. They were talking about drug posession with the intent to sell."

Lucy looks at me and takes a deep breath. I just stay quiet, letting her finish. "They...the cops waited until the shower shut off and as soon as the bathroom door opened, one of them grabbed Chris and told him to hold his hands above his head. And just like you see on t.v. and movies, they cuffed him and read him the Miranda rights. He was only dressed in a pair of sweats, but they dragged him through the living room, and outside. One of them told me they'd be in touch and all I could do was shake my head." Lucy sits up and straight and runs her hands up and down her thighs. "I just can't stop thinking about the way he was looking at me when they were taking him away, and the only he said was, 'It's not mine.'"

I can't control myself, I have to ask her this question. "What do you think Lucy? Do you think what they found was his?"

"I don't think so", she shrugs. "I mean, I know it looks bad because they found stuff at my place, but he said it's not his and I believe him, Kendall. I don't even know where he would get that stuff from."

I think for a minute, knowing that this is going to be a touchy subject. When you look at the facts, Chris is no doubtedly guilty. But he somehow has the wool pulled over Lucy's eyes and she's too infatuated to see the truth, but I have to try. I run my hand over my face and sigh. "How can you be so sure he's innocent? Why would the police be after him for no reason."

"I don't know".

"I have to be honest Lucy. There's just something about the guy, I get nothing but bad vibes about him."

"But you don't even know him, Kendall. I do. You only met him once and were around him for an hour or two at most. I love him", she blurts and the surprised look on her face tells me that this is news to her. "I know this is just some kind of misunderstanding, there's no way Chris would be involved in soemthing like this. He just can't be. And I miss him already." Lucy's voice breaks and I know not to pressure her any further when I see the tears welling up in her eyes. It's been a rough night for her and I know she's had enough, and the last thing I want to do is make her cry. "Look Lucy, I'm sorry. It's not even any of my business. I'll leave you alone about it."

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, shakes her head from side to side, and tucks her hair behind her ears. "Let's just talk about something different. Tell me about your date."

I smile as my mind wanders back to the few hours Roxy and I spent together. "Well, her name is Roxy, she's twenty-two, and I met her at the music store."

"What did you guys do?"

"We went bowling and then got ice cream."

"Was it fun?"

"Yes, she's sweet and funny. I laughed a lot more tonight than I have in a while."

"Is there going to be a second date?"

"Something like that. She's coming Saturday night to watch us play a gig at the bar next to Gino's Pizzeria."

"Awesome. Did you kiss her?"

"Lucyyyyy", I whine.

"Okay that means you did. Tell me about it."

"Like what?"

"Oh come on, Kendall!", she tosses a throw pillow at my head, then puts one on her lap and leans on it. "I know I'm not the girliest of girls, but I like romantic stuff, so spill all the juicy details!"

I'm just glad to see Lucy acting more like her normal self. "Well, I don't know."

"Did you kiss her or did she kiss you?"

"Wow Lucy. You really wanna know? When I drove her home, I walked her to her door, and she grabbed me by the belt loops and kissed me. But if she hadn't, I was going to kiss her."

"Wow a girl who takes charge, I like her already! Was there tongue involved?"

I laugh. "Yeah."

"Is she a good kisser?"

"She sure is."

"Awww, Kendall and Roxy sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-S-I-N-G...", I throw the pillow back at her to shut her up.

...

I'm woken up in the morning by an unfamiliar ring tone going off. I roll over and it's not until I land on the plush white living room carpet that I remember what happened last night. Lucy's here, she slept in my bed upstairs. I hear her muffled talking for a few minutes, then she comes down the stairs. I take this opportunity to get up off the floor. "Umm, good morning", I greet her.

"Morning", she replies and plops down onto the couch. Let me just say that she looks adorable dressed in a pair of my sweats and a t-shirt that are both way too big for her. I'm also a fan of the _just rolled out of the bed, tip my head over and jumble my hair into a big mess look. _"That was someone from the police station saying that Chris made bail."

"Oh okay", I say. Lucy looks down at her hands and starts picking at the polish on her nails. I have come to know that this is something she does out of nervousness. "So what's wrong then?"

"I just umm, I'm kinda freaking out. I don't have that kind of money to get him out. And I know you won't want to help because I know how you feel about him after last night." Despite what she's saying, the look on her face tells me she's hopeful.

"I really just don't trust him, Lucy, and I think you could do better than him."

"I know, I know", she draws her knees up to her chest and her face falls. My heart takes a dive to my stomach, and I don't want Chris to get out, but I can't stand to see Lucy this way.

"I'll loan you the money", I say quickly.

"You will?", the hope in here eyes doesn't give me a chance to refuse.

I nod my head and she screams, throwing herself into my arms for a hug while jumping up and down like a little kid. "Thank you, thank you, thank you", she pulls back and kisses my cheek. Her smile says everything, it's my reward. I just wish I had a better feeling about this. Chris seems to be one long line of trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Chapter five is here people! Hehe, I just want to thank all of you lovely reviewers as always, and offer a thank you to those of you who have favorited or followed my story, or both. SHOUT OUTS ****SuperSillyStories****- Haha, your review made me laugh, well the first part of it did! Yes, Lucy most certainly is blind, what can I say about Kendall? He's a total sweetheart! :) ****KendallsCoverGirl804****- I'm glad you're loving it. Did this update come soon enough for you? :) ****DeniseDEMD****- I know right? Kendall is absolutely smitten with Lucy, bless his heart! :) ****BigTimeStarKid1****- Yes, Lucy is totally blinded by Chris right now. Hehe, yeah Kendall is kinda shy and embarrassed about the kiss, huh? I'm glad you thought it was cute. Hit me up on twitter whenever you feel better, I miss you too girlie, and hope everything is okay! *hug* I am fantabulous as always, thank you :)**

On Friday night, Lucy and I are working together until closing at the music store, and Roxy stopped in for a minute to get the address for where Big Time Rush is playing tomorrow night. She introduced herself to Lucy and they talked for a bit, then me and Roxy chatted and flirted for a few minutes, before I walked her out to her car. When I came back in the shop, Lucy was leaning against the counter smiling. "What?", I asked her.

"You're such a gentleman, it's so cute."

I shrug. "It's about having respect for women. What can I say, my mama raised me right."

Lucy doesn't say anything but I can see the gears turning in her head. I wasn't trying to take a cheap shot at Chris, I was being honest. After a moment her lips turn up at the edges. "Let me just say that she did a fine job."

"Oh my", I clutch my heart in a dramatic fashion. "Was that a compliment from Lucy Stone?"

"Maybe", she acts coy and walks back behind the register. "Anyway, I like Roxy, she seems like a good girl."

"Well thank you, and she seemed to like you as well. She was actually wondering if you were going to be at the bar tomorrow when the guys and I play." I like the fact that Lucy thinks highly of Roxy.

"Umm, I don't know. Sounds good, but I'll have to talk to Chris about it."

"Right", I reply. Because everything she does now she runs by her boyfriend first, to get his permission. But I don't say anything because I don't want to start a fight. These moments of Lucy and I being happy and joking around seem far and few between these days, so I'll enjoy it while I can. She seems alright since the incident a few days ago, but I can see her slowly changing before my eyes, she's not the same Lucy who I first became friends with.

...

Playing our set at Bubba's RockShack went pretty well. We played some covers, and several of our own songs and it was nice to see some of the locals singing along. Once the crowd calms down a bit I set my guitar on the stand and hop down off the stage to Roxy, who's standing all the way in the front. "That was awesome!", she yells in my ear and kisses my cheek.

"Thanks, I love it", I give her a quick kiss on the lips and wipe at the sweat on my forehead. I love the rush I get when we play live. The adrenaline pumps non-stop through my veins when I play guitar and sing, but I do have to admit it gets really hot under those lights. "You looked like you really enjoyed it", I tell her. I smile, remembering her dancing and singing along, waving at me every few minutes.

"I did!", she beams up at me and wraps her hand around my arm.

Lucy and Chris walk up to us next. "Great job", Lucy yells, her words are slurred and I know she must have had some drinks.

"Thanks. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, ummm...", Lucy stops but throws a hand over her mouth and clutches her stomach with the other. "I don't feel so good", she whines. Roxy being the sweetheart she is puts an arm around Lucy and escorts her to the bathroom. Chris doesn't even acknowledge my existence, he walks away and I watch as he walks away and see him stop and talk to a few different people, before resting his hand on a blonde's lower back. She's wearing a very low cut, skin-tight black shirt and a black mini-skirt. I watch as he flirts with her, leaning in close to her, touching her arm and then she throws her head back and laughs loud and long, as if whatever Chris said to her was the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

I roll my eyes in disgust and turn when I feel a tap on my shoulder. Carlos, Logan, and James are standing there. "It's still early. Only ten thirty", Logan says with a glance at his watch. "Wanna hit a club or something?"

"Yeah, sure", I agree.

"Where do you guys wan-", Carlos starts but is interrupted by Roxy.

"She needs to go home", Roxy yells above the music, pointing to a not so great looking Lucy.

"Are you okay?", I ask her.

"Yeah. I just drank a lot tonight and didn't eat much today", she speaks shyly and moves her head around, searching the crowd. "Where's Chris?" _Bingo, the asshole's about to get caught red-handed_, I think to myself but as if he's got some kind of weird ESP or something, he appears at Lucy's side, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I'm right here baby", he tells her and kisses the top of her head, making me want to vomit. I mean how does she not see right through his act? "How are you feeling?"

"Not good. I need to go home and sleep this off", she leans into him and rests her head on his chest.

"Okay, let's go then", Chris tells her. I have to say I'm surprised he didn't put up a fight or ask someone else to take her home, he just obliged all too eagerly.

We all wish her well and I say, "Feel better", as Chris drags her away.

"So where are we going?", Carlos asks.

"Have you guys ever been to The StarBoard? It's pretty sick", Roxy says. Everyone besides looks around at eachother, shrugging and shaking their heads no.

"Wanna try it?", I ask. "After we load up all our equipment, I need to stop by my house and get a shower. I was sweating pretty bad up there." We all agree to meet at The StarBoard in a while.

An hour later, I walk through the doors at the club and find Roxy sitting with Logan, Carlos, James, and three other girls. "Hey you look good", Roxy tells me as I approach the table. When I got home I changed into a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a navy blue button down.

"Thanks. I didn't tell you how amazing you look tonight did I?", I catch my manners and bring her hand up to my face, brushing my lips on her knuckles. I have to admit she looks good in her red, one-shoulder dress that hugs her curves but doesn't show off too much. It's cinched around her tiny waist with a black belt, and the black four inch stilettos she's wearing are killer. They make her legs look even more incredible, and my little buddy down below just reminded that I haven't been with a woman in months.

I cough a bit, trying to focus my attention on something else. "Umm, I'm gonna go get a drink."

"Oooh I'll go with you", Roxy hops off of her stool and grabs my hand. She's bubbly and bouncing all over the place as we walk up to the bar.

"Are you okay?", I ask her.

"Yeah, I've just been waiting for you to get here. I'm dying to dance." She smiles up at me innocently and damn, she's just too cute.

I laugh at her. "Well I'm not much of a dancer but let me down a few drinks and I'll become Chris Brown." She giggles and I put in my order of two shots of Jack Daniels and a Coors Light to the bartender, and slap down a twenty. Once the drinks are up, I down the shots and carry my bottle of beer back to the table with Roxy. We have a good time talking and joking around until one by one, each couple heads to the dance floor, me and Roxy last.

It doesn't take long for us to fall into a quick rhythm, getting the groove of eachother and I've gotta say the girl has some moves. The way her body fits with mine and we move together, it's as if we're making love on the dancefloor. I am an all American man after all and my blood is boiling in my veins at the thought of getting her naked, but I'm just not that kind of guy. I'm gonna have to get to know her better first. Roxy is currently in front of me, her back to my chest, my hands on her hips with her grinding into me. I'm trying all I can to stay sane, but I know if I don't get away soon I might do something I'll end up regretting in the morning, so I decide now might be a good time to go the bathroom.

"Hey, I'm gonna run to the bathroom. Be back in a few minutes", I say in her ear.

She spins around so she's facing me. "Kay, hurry back."

"Will do". I smile and head to the restroom, where I do my business and on the way out and back through the sea of dancing bodies, I bump into a couple all but fucking on the dance floor. The guy looks up at me and I'm about to offer an apology, but I stop just shy of it when I notice that it's Chris.

"Chris?!", I exclaim.

He removes his mouth from the girl's he's dancing with and takes a step back. I recognize her as the blonde girl from Bubba's he was flirting with while Roxy took Lucy to the bathroom. "Yeah", is all he says and throws his hands out to sides, as if he's aggravated that I interrupted or something.

I scoff and look at the girl, who's looking back and forth between me and Chris. "Guess you didn't know he has a girlfriend, huh?", I speak loudly to her.

Her face scrunches up and she gives him a dirty look. He just shrugs his shoulders at her and she stalks off.

I can't help the anger coursing through my body. I saw him cheating on Lucy with my own two eyes, and he has the nerve to just stand here as if it's no big deal. "The fuck are you doing?", I take a step towards him.

"What the fuck does it look like?", he retorts.

"Well you're sure as hell not at home taking care of your sick girlfriend, who happens to be one of my best friends."

"She barfed and fell asleep. Besides a nasty hangover in the morning, she'll be fine".

I stay in place shocked for a moment. "Don't you care? You are a piece of shit. I can't believe I loaned Lucy the money to get your no good for nothing ass out of jail. I should've let you rot in there." I clench my hands into fists and let go, trying to ease some of the tension in my body.

"Lucy loves me", he sneers.

"Oh so that gives you the right to cheat on her and use her, huh? I know what you're up to and I just can't believe you have her that fooled. Well you can bet your ass I'll be letting her know exactly what I saw happening here tonight, asshole. She deserves so much better than what you do her."

"Say what you want. I'll tell her something different and she'll believe me", the snake spits.

I reach my arms out and give him a good shove in the shoulders. "Get out of here, you are a dick!", I yell. He stumbles back, but catches his balance and decides he's man enough to throw a punch at me. I block him and upper cut him in the chin, then bring my other arm up and my fist collides with his nose. His head falls back and blood instantly starts dripping. I watch as he notices the blood and when he takes another step closer to me, I lose it. I just start throwing my fists around, by the time someone is pulling me off of him, his lip is bleeding as well, plus he's gonna have a nice black eye in a few hours.

"Chill out, Kendall", James is shouting at my ear, he has one of my arms, Carlos has the other, holding me back from Chris. A bouncer picks his sorry butt off the floor and he has the audacity to give me a grin just before he's carried outside.

"Are you okay?", Roxy's voice is frantic.

My left cheek hurts a little, the creep must've gotten a hit in. "I'm fine", I utter.

"Let's get out of here", James suggests. Well more than suggests, it's more of an order as he, Carlos, and Logan escort me out to the car and put me in.

"It was Chris, he was dancing with some other chick. The fucker left Lucy at home sick to cheat on her", I grumble. The door slams closed beside me and Carlos climbs into the driver's seat.

"You've gotta tell her."

"Yeah", I laugh darkly and bring my palm down hard onto the leather seat. "I'm going to". _I just hope she believes me, _I think, because I know damn well the kind of person Chris is and he's going to try to weasel his way out of it.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I guess I should start by saying that this story is going to be more than six chapters long. I don't know how many more there will be, just a few though. As always, a big THANK YOU to those of you kind enough to leave reviews, you are awesome! SHOUT OUTS ****BigTimeStarKid1****- I have to totally agree that Chris is indeed disgusting. Hehe and of course Kendall is perfect, he is Kendall after all! :) ****childwhoiscool****- great review! :) ****ShadowPool95****- wow, I wasn't even sure if you were still reading the story after the first chapter, but apparently you are! I have been known to leave things with a cliff hanger a time or two before, don't fret though, your next installment is right here :) ****SuperSillyStories****- Haha, yeah it would be awesome if you were able to kick Chris where the sun don't shine! Yes, Kendall has many different "shades" ;) ****DeniseDEMD****- Yes I agree, Kendall does need to tell Lucy, and Chris certainly is a dirtbag :) ****Logan'sHoneyPie****- Ooooohhh, you think Kendall is cute? _ hehehe, well wonder no more and feel free to let me know if this is what you thought would happen! :) ****Kendall'sCoverGirl804****- Yeah I'm not a fan of Chris either. Glad you're liking this :) **

I wake up to the doorbell ringing non-stop and someone pounding on the door ferociously. "Hold your horses", I grumble, then stumble out of bed. It had been a long night last night and I'm still half asleep when I open the door and see Lucy standing on the other side, her arms crossed over her chest, and a scowl etched on her face. _Maybe she found out Chris is a cheater, and I won't have to tell her myself._

"Lucy, I umm, wasn't expecting you...", I look down at my mostly naked body, the only stitch of clothing I'm wearing is my boxers, and I run a hand through my hair. "I need to go put some-"

"No", she says sharply and steps in, closing the door behind her. "Kendall, why did you beat Chris up last night?"

"What?!", I exclaim.

"He looks like hell."

"Well he shouldn't have been doing what he was doing, Lucy. You're my friend and I'm not going to sit there and watch him do it. I would want the same thing from you".

"Do what, Kendall?"

"Cheat on you. He was all over some other chick, their mouths were practically glued together". I throw my arms out to the sides in exasperation, then instantly feel horrible. I don't like to be the bearer of bad news, but I have to be loyal to my friend. I study her face, waiting for her to burst into tears or something, but what happens next comes as a surprise.

Lucy narrows her eyes at me and her lips turn up into an unattractive smile as she puts her hands on her hips, and gives a small, dark chuckle. "That's exactly what Chris said you would say."

"Come again?", I reply.

"For some reason, he says you have a problem with him. But he's never done anything to you."

"Are you serious right now?"

"Uh, yes", Lucy snaps. "I need to know what he's ever done to you that was so wrong, and why you just can't accept him. You never seemed too thrilled since the beginning, Kendall. I thought you were my friend. You should want me to be happy."

"I do want you to be happy, Lucy. But Chris is just not the saint you think he is! He left you sick last night to go out partying and making out with random chicks. Who knows what else would have happened if I hadn't been there to stop it."

"Really Kendall?" The way Lucy shoves her hair behind her ears tells me that she's beyond angry. "He said his cousin called because she was too drunk and needed someone to drive her home."

"Would he be playing tonsil hockey with his cousin?", I shoot back.

"They weren't kissing. When he got there she about passed out on him. He was helping her walk."

"Oh she walked away just fine all on her own when I told her that Chris has a girlfriend!"

Lucy rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "I can't believe you, Knight!"

I'm heated now and have just about run out of patience. "I can't believe you either, Lucy. You've known me for a year, and Chris for all of what, two months? I've never lied to you before so why would I start now? You've changed since you met him."

She scoffs. "No I haven't. But you have. How can you lie to me about Chris?"

"I'm NOT lying!"

"Then quit trying to tear us apart. It was just a big misunderstanding. Chris loves me."

"He has you completely blinded doesn't he?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Do you not remember that he was arrested just a few days ago for drugs? Remember your birthday, you thought he was cheating on you?"

"But they weren't his, and the girl last night was his cousin! Besides, I don't know why my relationship with Chris matters so much to you."

"Because...", is all I'm able to manage.

"Because what Kendall?"

I stand there, not saying anything. I don't want to lie to Lucy, but I don't want to tell her why I do care so much.

"Because he likes you", Carlos's voice comes through clearly from the entryway into the living room. "Oops", he says as he realizes that he just spilled the beans, and I catch the backside of my latino friend running back into his bedroom, and the door closes quickly behind him.

My face gets hot and I keep my attention on the floor, wishing that didn't just happen. Here Lucy and I are standing, yelling back and forth at eachother for all the world to hear. I walk over to Carlos's door and knock. "I know you're in there. Can you get me a shirt please?" I should be mad at my friend, but in some odd way I think he's just trying to help. His door opens and a green shirt flies through the air. I catch it and put it on, wondering if I should run like a coward and hide in my own bedroom, or approach Lucy, when she continues.

Her voice is softer, tainted by shock. "I-Is that true, Kendall?"

I chew the bottom of my lip for the briefest of moments before lifting my face to look straight into her eyes. It's time to come clean. "Yes, I'm in love with you."

Lucy gasps and her eyes widen. "You're jealous! That's why you're making all of this up about Chris!" She walks backward until her back hits the opposite wall.

"Oh my God! We just went through this, I'm not making this up."

"I never thought you would be like this Kendall".

"Be like what? I never tried to deliberately sabotage your relationship, Chris does a good job of that all on his own." As if things couldn't get any worse, Roxy comes strolling through the living room, dressed in her clothes from last night.

"Roxy! Wait!", I go after her but she turns to me with a grim smile as she opens the door. "You look a little busy right now. Maybe I'll text you later." Once her words are out, the door closes without giving me a chance to respond. Great, now I'm stuck here between two girls that both need my attention, what am I supposed to do? I decide to finish things with Lucy, then I can handle the situation with Roxy later, this is beyond humiliating.

I've lost my cool as I turn back to Lucy. "Haven't I always been here for you? Every damn time something goes wrong with Chris, who do you run to? Me, that's who! I'm tired of seeing you upset, hurt, and crying. You deserve so much better than what Chris has to offer you. I haven't been anything but the best friend that I could be and you're treating me really unfairly." I rub my hand across my face, as I take a deep breath. "I'm not gonna stand here and pretend that I wouldn't love to date you, because frankly you're the most beautiful woman I've ever known. Would it be so crazy if you and I got together?" I take three steps closer to her. "Give me a chance. Let me love you. I'll treat you right, I'll take you out, I'll buy you things. I won't make you cry."

Lucy is silent, but her black hair sways back and forth as she shakes her head. "No, no Kendall. I love Chris and he loves me."

I put my hands in my pockets and nod my head. "Okay, I can understand if you don't want to date me. But right now, our friendship is at stake and you have two choices. You can believe me about what happened last night, or you can believe Chris. But if it's him, I'm sorry Lucy, but please don't you dare come running back to me to pick up the pieces the next time something goes wrong." I've never given anyone an ultimatum before, but I'm at my wit's end with this.

Lucy's chin quivers as if she's going to cry and her eyes get all shiny. "I believe Chris", she whispers and walks to the front door. "I don't think we can be friends anymore". Lucy looks at me, waiting for me to respond.

"If that's how you feel, I can't change your mind." And for the second time today I watch a woman leave my house, less than happy because of something I've said or done.

Begrudgingly I head to my room for some jeans, and I swipe my phone off the nightstand as I hear a new text come through. It's from Roxy. **Kendall, U r a rly nice guy, but I think there's 2 much going on in ur life rite now. I'd rather b out of the drama, sorry. Stay cool. **

I flop onto the edge of the bed, putting my head in my hands and laugh bitterly. I have absolutely no luck when it comes to women. First there's Emily, who doesn't want to be tied down. Then I try with Roxy, who is such a nice, sweet, genuine girl and this had to go down in front of her. I guess maybe it's better she got let down now than later on when there could be feelings involved. Last but not least, there's Lucy. She's beautiful, smart, and could get any guy she wants, yet she meets an asshole like Chris who does her wrong, and I turn out to be the bad guy after everything I've done for her. I just don't understand women and I probably never will.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N A big thank you to all of you wonderful reviewers, and those of you simply reading this story. SHOUT OUTS ****SuperSillyStories****- I know exactly how you feel, but maybe this chapter will give you a little bit of insight as to why Lucy is so...brainwashed. It does suck about their friendship though. Hehe you liked that 50 Shades comment huh? :) ****ShadowPool95****- no worries about not reviewing frequently...reviews are not required but I sure do appreciate them :) Wow, so I will take your comment as a compliment, thank you :) ****DeniseDEMD****- How unfortunate it is that Roxy had to witness it! Hehe, I totally loved your reference to the song, I mean how blind does she have to be to see how Kendall would be so good for her?! Ahhh, it's SO frustrating lol. :) ****KendallsCoverGirl804****- Poor Kendall :( Aww, I'm glad you are enjoying this story so much :) ****childwhoiscool****- Definitely a sad chapter! Thanks for reviewing :) ****Logan'sHoneyPie****- Yeah it's so easy to be upset with Lucy right now, but maybe this chapter will shed a bit of light on what could possibly be going on inside her mind/why she's feeling like she does. And yes Kendall lost a lot, poor guy. I bet you actually didn't guess right on what happened in this chapter ;) ****BigTimeStarKid1****- I'm pretty aggravated with Lucy myself, and poor Kendall just got totally screwed, bless his heart. But all things happen for a reason :)**

"Hey mom, I'm here", I call out as I walk into her house. My mom is taking a pan of lasagna out of the oven, which she sets on the stove and closes the oven door.

"Kendall", she looks me over and pulls me in for a hug. She keeps her hands on my arms and takes a step back. "I missed you last week."

"Sorry, mom", I tell her and kiss her cheek. Every Sunday I go to my mom's house for dinner, something I have done since I moved out when I was eighteen. Last weekend was the first time I ever missed it. I just wasn't feeling up to it with everything that had went down that morning so I called my mom and told her I needed some time to myself. The sweet lady she is didn't push or prod, she simply told me it was okay.

"No worries", she waves her hand letting me know it was no big deal. "How are you? Is everything alright?" My mom turns around to cut the lasagna first, followed by the loaf of her famous home-made garlic bread.

"Yes. No. I don't know".

"Sweetie, what's wrong?", she asks as she fixes both of us a plate.

I sigh before answering, "It's just a girl thing, I don't understand them. And it has to do with Lucy." I take the two plates and set them at the table, with mom close behind me with forks and glasses of milk. I pull the chair out for her and once she's seated, I push her in and then take my seat at the opposite side of the too large table.

"How is she? What's going on?", she asks and takes a bite of her pasta.

I place a forkful into my mouth as well and ponder it over as I chew. Starting on Monday, Lucy didn't show up for her work schedule. She didn't bother calling, and after the third no call/no show, out of typical protocol, I had to terminate her. When I sent her last paycheck, I added a check for an extra month's worth of her pay. Part of it was out of guilt, because I know she needs the money. But still, no matter what happened, I wouldn't have let our personal life interfere with our work relationship. I didn't enclose a note or anything personal in the envelope before I sealed and sent it. To be honest, my feelings are still hurt and I try to not to think about it as much as I don't have to. Over the last week, I have thrown myself into my work, and writing new songs. I only left the house to go to work.

Before I know it, I tell my mom the whole story starting back from Lucy's birthday and mom nods her head and continues eating. After a moment she sets her fork down and takes a drink of her milk. "Kendall, have you ever thought that maybe there's a reason why she is so resistant to leave the relationship?"

"No, it just never occured to me", I reply.

"You know she grew up differently than you did."

I look at my mom, confused. "What do you mean?"

Mom folds her hands in front of her. "Well, you grew up with both a mother and a father who supported any and everything you ever wanted to do, and not a day ever went by that we didn't tell you we love you. Lucy lost her mother when she was really young, when she was three. Her dad wasn't the kind of man to show affection, or spend time with her. In a way she found what she always wanted in Chris. He tells her that he loves her. That's all she's ever wanted, for a man to say that he loves her."

My chest tightens. "Have you talked to her?"

"No, Kendall. A few of the times you brought her here and she helped me cook or do the dishes, we had some lady talk."

I shake my head. "I never knew that. All she ever said was that her mom passed away and her dad lives in Connecticut, case closed. I didn't bother to ask because some things just are off limits to some people, and I never wanted to push or pry." Mom resumes eating, but I've lost my appetite and push my plate away. Now the more I think about it, I understand a little better and guilt slices through me. My head is swarming with thoughts though, and it still doesn't excuse Lucy for how she treated me. How can I miss her so much when I didn't really even have her in the first place?

As if my mom can read my thoughts, she informs me. "You had a good friendship with her."

"I know and it sucks because she threw it away for him. It hurts."

"Kendall, I know this isn't easy for you, but if you free up some of the negativity in your heart, you'll make room for forgiveness. You and I both know that Lucy isn't a bad person. She's merely stuck in a situation right now."

"Yeah and I blame myself for it. She needs a good friend and I pushed her away because I was angry. I never should have yelled at her or gave her an ultimatum."

Mom reaches across the table and sets her hand on top of mine. "Honey, you can't control everything. Sometimes things are just out of our reach. Life is all about learning, trial and error, if you will. I have faith in Lucy. She's a smart girl and sooner or later she'll open her eyes and see what's been going on."

"I've tried talking to her, mom. I pointed everything out to her."

She pats my hand. "I know, but Lucy sees things in a different way than you do. You can tell her until you're blue in the face, but some people have to experience things and realize them for what they really are on their own. It's frustrating, but all you can do is be there to catch her when she falls."

I'm thankful for all of my mom's advice but I can't just sit here without at least trying. "That doesn't ease my mind any. Maybe I should try to call her?", I give my mom a hopeful look. I mean let's face it, mom's are always right, and I need to know I'm making the right decision.

One of my mom's shoulders goes up to her chin. "Perhaps you can." She gives me a smile. "If your father was here, he'd be really proud of you."

"Thanks, mom", I place a kiss on the top of her head as I walk past to grab my phone from the counter. I dial Lucy's number and let it ring, but no one answers. Next, I pick up mom's phone and try, but she still doesn't answer. I don't blame her much, I would be really mad at me if I was her. I beat up her boyfriend and she found out I've been harboring a crush on her. She probably just needs thinking space.

After thanking my mom for dinner, I head home because the music store opens early tomorrow. Somehow I end up three streets and two blocks away from my own house, in the parking lot of Lucy's apartment building. _What am I even doing here?_, I question myself. I sit there and look at the time, deciding that if I haven't been able to talk myself out of leaving in ten minutes, I'll go up and try to talk to her in person.

Ten minutes later I climb up the stairs and come to a stop in front of the familiar door, where I knock. The sound of footsteps approach the door and it opens, revealing Chris standing there. I bite my tongue, reminding myself that the reason I'm here is to talk to Lucy and not him. "Is Lucy here?", I ask.

"Kendall", he runs his hand over his scruffy chin. "Lucy doesn't want to ever talk to you or see you again, got it? So just leave her alone." The sad part of it all is that I can see Lucy sitting cross legged on the couch through the open door, just fifteen away. Her hands are in her lap, her chin is to her chest. There's no way she didn't hear me, but she sits still, making no effort to correct him or say anything, so I do all that I can. I turn around and walk away. I hear the door close as I descend the stairs and try to push the bitter feeling of defeat out of my bones before it can settle. All I can say is that I tried.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N As always, a big THANK YOU to my wonderful reviewers and readers, without you I would not be writing this. SHOUT OUTS ****DeniseDEMD****- I know, poor Kendall, bless his heart of gold :) ****KtotheH****- Wow, thanks for all of your reviews, that was awesome. I'm glad you like the story, you got here just in time lol :) ****childwhoiscool****- great review, thanks! :) ****ShadowPool95****- Hahaha I'm glad you like this story, and I certainly do understand your frustration lol :) ****SuperSillyStories****- I totally understand your feelings. Hugs and warm cookies does sound good :) ****Kendall'sCoverGirl804****- It's hard not to be disappointed in Lucy, and I agree, she does need to wake up! :)**

"Last song has changed to Purple, guys", I call out to Carlos, Logan, and James. Logan nods and pushes buttons around on the keyboard, while James tunes his guitar. Carlos is the drum player, which I might add is perfect for someone with his kind of energy. Tonight we're playing a set at a well-known club, and will be the first time we play Purple. It's one of my personal favorites because I wrote it, and it speaks volumes on my feelings about Lucy. Two months has passed since I've talked to her and true to the popular belief, life does go on.

I've only seen her once, and that was when I went down to the deli to grab lunch one day at work, and she was sitting in the coffee shop with James's cousin. All I remember is that she was wearing a purple shirt. Her head was thrown back in laughter and Lucy seemed cheerful, she looked genuinely happy; which is all I can ask for. Her birthday was last month and I sent her flowers. I had wanted to write the lyrics to one of my favorite songs on the card I sent along with it, but instead I just wrote _Happy Birthday, Luce._ I signed it with a heart and a capital K. I won't lie when I said I was hoping for a phone call or even an e-mail of her saying thanks, but apparently that wasn't in the cards. Gossip is a big part of our town and occasionally rumors come by about Chris and Lucy, but I just ignore them and go by what my three friends tell me when they see her, which is she's doing alright. Word going around is that they broke up last week. I don't let myself think about whether it's true or not. I've tried all I can with no luck, so I've washed my hands of the whole incident.

Various noises from our different instruments fill the room as we all warm up, until the curtain opens. As the lead singer, I introduce ourselves to the larger than normal crowd and Carlos bangs his drumsticks together to get us started. I'm sweating like crazy and high on adrenaline by the time we come to last song in our set, we have played really well tonight. I feel the familiar pinch in my chest when I begin the opening chords of Purple, but I push on, giving it my all. I don't really know how I expected to feel playing this song live in front of actual people, but I wasn't prepared for the emotions bubbling up. I continue playing and get lost in the music. I'm taken back to another time, and it feels like everything happened just yesterday as I sing the powerful lyrics at the end; they're the lyrics that bleed straight from my heart.

_Such a beautiful color you wear upon your skin,_

_ And a perfect shade of purple on a flower permanent_

_ And I'm constantly reminded of a past that never bloomed_

_ As I sit behind these bars, only silence fills the room_

_ I've never been down this road before_

_ As_ _the days go by I only miss you more_

_ I thought one day we would touch the sky_

_ Never grow up and never going to die_

_ I never realized what you meant to me_

_ Until I tried drowning out your memory_

_ But it burns red like it's not over_

_ It only hurts when I'm sober_

_ It only hurts when it's over_

When the music stops we get a standing ovation and the curtain comes down, hiding us from all those people. Something feels different tonight, and usually I would go straight home after we played our show, but after we get all of our equipment packed up, I decide to go back in and stay for a beer. Sitting up on the wooden stool, I'm halfway through my beer when a figure catches my eye. Of all the people in the world, Lucy Stone approaches the bar three feet away from where I'm seated and asks the bartender for a Cosmopolitan. I do a double take and can't help my eyes from roaming over her. Lucy is dressed in a little black dress with three inch strappy heels. Her hair is curled and her make-up is impeccable, she's nothing short of breath-taking. My heart stops when I notice the necklace I gave her for her birthday hanging around her neck. To anyone else, she looks like a girl with no troubles at all in the world, but that's because they don't know her; but I do. I can see that her eyes are bloodshot and puffy through the eyeliner and mascara, and the tight smile she gives the bartender is masking some kind of pain.

I turn my head quickly and stand up, hoping to slip out unnoticed, but somehow our paths cross and we bump head-on into eachother. Thrown off balance, Lucy looks up at me with a surprised look and my hands grasp her shoulders to steady her. Immediately I drop my hands and take a step back. "S-sorry", she stutters.

For some reason I can't move, my feet are frozen in place, and before I can stop them, the words are already out of my mouth. "I heard what happened."

Lucy's eyes soften and widen, and she presses her lips together. "Yeah, ummm", she starts and drops her gaze to the floor. "I-I", but she loses it and breaks down, throwing herself into my chest.

Without even thinking, I manage to get her out of the club without drawing too much attention, and take her to my car. I unlock the door, then help her in before following suit and climbing into the driver's seat. When Lucy looks at me in question, I shrug my shoulders and put my hands up to the sides. "I can't leave you alone when you're like this."

A few tears escape from the corner of her eyes. "Wanna go to my place and watch a movie?", I ask. It's hard looking at her, knowing she's hurt and I'd do almost anything to have things back to the way they were before. I would wrap my arms around her and make her feel like everything in the world is okay. I would tell her corny jokes and act silly, do anything in my power to make her smile because she's worth it.

She nods and whispers sheepishly, "Thank you, Kendall."

...

Sunlight is streaming through the blinds when I wake up and I push the veil of black hair out of my face. Upon recognizing the sleeping figure, I attempt to get up but my arm is pinned down, and I'm forced to lay there and replay the memories of last night. _When Lucy and I got back to my place, I took a shower downstairs while she took one upstairs and she changed into a pair of my sweats and a t-shirt. We laid in my bed watching her favorite movie, She's The Man, with my back against the headboard and Lucy snuggled up into my chest. My arm was draped around her shoulders in a simple gesture, and it was as if nothing had ever happened between us. Out of nowhere, Lucy sat up and kissed me. I immediately stiffened and pushed her away, not wanting to take advantage of her vulnerable state. Her tears started flowing again, breaking my heart. I took her face in my hands and kissed her, and she let me. Fueled by the little noises pouring from her mouth, our kisses turned to touches and soon we were both undressed. I'm only a man after all and I was weak, drunk on lust. All I wanted was for Lucy to stop crying, and to make her feel good. One thing lead to another and we slept together._

Lucy stirs and when her eyes open, she just looks over at me. A couple of minutes pass with us both staring at eachother with an uncomfortable silence, then she jerks away. I don't expect the hurt that courses through me, and I can't stop myself. I sit up and reach for my boxers on the floor and slide into them. "Let me guess, this is the part where you tell me everything that happened last night is wrong and you're going back to him." I can't even bring myself to say his name.

Lucy sits up and I already know what she's going to say before she speaks, and not wanting to hear it, I'm always to the door when I hear her voice. "Kendall wait. Please."

I don't know why I stop but I do, and I turn around. Last night was all I ever dreamed of and I know it shouldn't have happened, but it did. Pulling the sheet up to her chin and wrapping it around herself, Lucy sits up. "I found Chris cheating on me and kicked him out last week. I even had a locksmith come and change all the locks on my doors. We are completely over." She then climbs off the bed and walks over to me, and I can feel her hesitate. If I were anything less than I am, I would be taunting her with the words, _I told you so, _but the man in me remains quiet.

"What I want to say is that last night was one of the best nights of my life. And I wanted to thank you and say that I'm sorry for everything." Lucy pauses and turns her head to the side. When she faces me again, her lower lip is tucked between her teeth. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and opens them back up. Lucy's hand wraps around mine. "And I want us to be friends again. And maybe when I'm in a better place, we can give us a chance."

There's no disguising the shock on my face. "You really mean that?"

Lucy tucks her hair behind her ear nervously and nods her head. "Yes, I do."

**Yes, this is the end of the story. There will however be an epilogue :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N And here is the last installment of the story, which is an epilogue. Let me THANK YOU wonderful reviewers and readers from the bottom of my heart, without you I wouldn't be writing! *MUAH* SHOUT OUTS ****SuperSillyStories****- Hehe yes I agree with you on the good riddance to that a-hole Chris! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story, and thank you for the birthday wish! :) ****childwhoiscool****- great review, thanks so much! :) ****KtotheH****- Aww I'm glad you liked the story, and I hope this conclusion is everything you hoped it would be! :) ****BigTimeStarKid1****- No worries about not reviewing, I tell you this all the time, please don't feel bad. I'm glad Lucy finally threw Chris out as well, and I hope you like this epilogue...thanks so much for the birthday wish! :) ****DeniseDEMD****- Yay thanks! I hope this epi is good, I kinda have mixed emotions on it! :) ****ShadowPool95-**** Hehe well I'm so glad that I made you smile. And I must agree that Kucy is absolutely adorable :) ****- Hi! Wow, that's so sweet, I'm glad you liked the story! And trust me, you are not the only person wanting to hurt Chris! hehe, thanks for reviewing :)**

Standing at her front door, preparing to knock, I find it odd that Lucy asked me to come straight to her place after getting off the plane instead of going home. The guys and I had a week of vacation and went to Hawaii, while I convinced Lucy to go see her dad back home in Connecticut. Our friendship picked back up, I decided to let bygones be bygones and leave all the negativity in the past. I had even suggested she try going to a therapist, which she has, and I've seen a big improvement in my friend. We hang out from time to time, but never alone, and we haven't talked about what happened. And honestly, all different kinds of scenarios are running through my head about why Lucy called me to come over because she wasn't very happy with me before I left, and we haven't been in contact since then.

I take a deep breath and raise my hand to ring the doorbell but the heavy door swings open with Lucy standing on the other side of it before I can, a smile is on her face. "Hi", I say and rub at the back of my neck, a nervous habit of mine.

"Hey, Kendall", she greets me cheerfully and waves me in. I step in and she shuts the door behind me. "How are you?", she asks and motions for me to have a seat. I sit on the recliner and Lucy takes a seat on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her.

"I'm good, we had a great time", I respond.

"Nice."

I remember my manners and ask, "So how are you?"

She pulls a shoulder up to her cheek. "Pretty good, thanks."

An awkward couple minutes of silence goes by without either one of us saying anything, so I try to spark something up. "So you asked me to come over..."

"Yeah, about that". Lucy folds her hands in her lap. "I wanted to thank you for giving me the idea of going to Connecticut to see my dad. I know I was a bit of a bitch about it, but I guess I just though that if I don't think about it, it won't affect me. I was wrong."

"That's great", I say. "How did it go?"

"It went really well, actually. My dad and I did a lot of talking and mended our relationship. He gave me answers to some questions I already had. And he even apologized for not being the best father he could have been."

"Wow."

"Yeah", she looks at me shyly and I just notice that she looks awesome in a purple dress. "I don't know how I can ever thank you for that. Or for really everything you've ever done fo-", a loud buzzing sound goes off, making both of us jump. Lucy hops to her feet and holds a finger up. "I'll be right back in a minute", she utters then scurries off to the kitchen.

A few moments pass by and I hear some commotion going on around where Lucy disappeared to. "Is everything alright? Do you need some help?"

"NO!", Lucy shouts back quickly.

I shake my head and am just about to go see what's taking her so long when she returns. "Sorry, I was cooking."

"No worries."

"So tell me about Hawaii. I bet you guys had lots of fun and met lots of girls."

I laugh. "Well we went scuba diving, sky diving, hiked a lot, did a lot of swimming of course. You know, dude stuff. But James and Logan of course picked up chicks." Lucy giggles and I go on to tell her about the whole escapade with Logan stepping on a sea urchin and having to go to the E.R. when the loud buzzing sound goes off again.

Lucy stands up with an apologetic smile on her face. "I gotta go take care of something."

"You're good", I tell her and off she goes again. Two minutes pass when I hear Lucy her calling my name. "What?", I yell back.

"Can you come here?"

"Yup, I'll be right there", I inform her and go in pursuit of my friend, whom I find at the breakfast nook in her kitchen.

"What's all this?" Her table is set with flowers in the middle, two large candles lit, and two place settings.

"Well you know, I feel a lot better about life now and I have to credit you for that, for urging me to make some changes, and I wanted to do something for you to know I appreciate it. So I cooked you dinner. I talked to your mom earlier, she said eggplant parmesan is your favorite."

"Whoa, you really didn't have to."

"Yes, I did", Lucy nods towards the seat across from where she's standing, motioning for me to sit down. "And after we eat I'd like to talk to you about something."

"Yeah, sure", I respond and sit down.

Lucy sits down and takes a sip of her wine. "I hope you like it. I'm not the best cook, but I'm definitely not the worst", she giggles sheepishly.

"Hmm", I say and cut off a portion of the eggplant parmesan before picking it up with the fork and putting it in my mouth. I chew and swallow. "I'm impressed", I say honestly. "That is some fine cooking Ms. Lucy Stone."

"Well thank you", she says and we joke around while we eat.

I stay at the table while Lucy clears the dishes and when she returns, she asks if I want to go out on the balcony. I follow her out, and look up at the sky. It's dark out, but there are thousands of stars lighting up the sky. "It's so pretty", I exclaim.

"I know", Lucy says and moves closer to me. She fidgets with her fingers nervously and shifts her feet back and forth before taking my hand and looking up at my face. "Kendall", she sighs and closes her eyes for a second. "I umm...I think it's time that we try, you know as more than friends."

To say I'm shocked is an understatement, and I can't seem to get my mouth to form any words.

"Unless you changed your mind, that is", Lucy pushes some strands of hair behind her ears with both hands and looks down to the floor.

I squeeze her hand, then link our fingers together. "No, I haven't changed my mind at all. I never wanted to push you or anything. Hell I didn't really know if you even meant it at the time. It was just a really weird situation for us that morning." Great, now I can't seem to stop talking.

Lucy takes another step closer to me, keeping her eyes locked with mine. "I know I wasn't in the best frame of mind, but you are the sweetest person I've ever known. Your heart is pure and I couldn't see it at the time. I still feel like a total dirtball about not believing you. I just hope you can fully forgive me for that one day."

"It's in the past, Luce."

"So let's make a new beginning?", her face is hopeful.

"Yes, a new beginning", I chuckle.

Lucy smiles and skims her hand over my arm. "I'd like to be able to call you my boyfriend."

I can't keep my lips from turning up at the edges as I take in her face and cup her cheek with my hand. "Does that mean I can kiss my girlfriend?"

"Mm-hmm", Lucy licks her lips and closes her eyes. I slowly lean down until our lips meet and brush mine lightly over hers. Lucy stays still and moves her arms to wrap around my neck. I start to pull away, but Lucy holds the back of my head firmly in place and pushes her mouth harder against mine. I slide my arm down to her waist, and I keep the kiss slow and sensual, licking over her bottom lip before sliding my tongue inside to mingle with hers. I take my time exploring her mouth, until we both pull away, all but panting for air.

"I liked that", her eyes are twinkling and she bites her lip as she steps back.

"Me, too". Taking both of my hands in hers, Lucy's eyes look up at me intensely. "What?", I question.

"I love you, Kendall", she blurts out softly.

I'm taken aback, but I can see the truth in her words written on her face. "I love you, too", I say the words as easily as if I said those words to her on a daily basis. Finally I was able to get it out, to tell her how I really feel and it makes my heart feel lighter. I see a tear trickle from the corner of her eye and she turns away quickly, inching to the edge of the balcony where she rests her hands on the rail.

I go up to her and put my arms around her tummy, pulling her back into my chest. "Tell me again", she says.

"I love you, Lucy."

I can see a smile form from the side of her face as she leans her head back to view my face. "I love you, Kendall. I mean it."

I raise an eyebrow playfully. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!", she scoffs.

"I don't believe it", I joke.

Lucy moves from my embrace and cups her hands around her mouth and shouts at the top of her lungs. "I, LUCY ELIZABETH STONE, LOVE KENDALL DONALD KNIGHT!" Next, she turns back to me. "Believe me now?"

"I don't know. I think I'm gonna need another kiss to determine that..." I watch as Lucy slowly lifts herself up on the tips of her toes and I grow impatient; I just grab her up, pulling her face back to mine, claiming what I've wanted for so long now.


End file.
